The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the ACT Assembly:
Nicholls Enclosed Oval is a hub of community activity, and has been since the mid-1990’s. The precinct remains untouched for more than 20-years, leaving no changing facilities for females, plus a playing surface that is unsafe.
Females who wish to play sport in the Gungahlin area are discouraged to participate. This is due to lacklustre and unsafe facilities; therefore, Nicholls Enclosed Oval can’t grow or sustain a genuine grassroots program for any sport or activity.
More than 30 teams can use the facility in one day for one sport. This has resulted in teams, of both females and males, getting changed in storage containers, or in plain sight with no privacy whatsoever. This is highly inappropriate and humiliating for the clubs, teams and individuals involved.
The surface imposes multiple safety risks to participants. A physical and chemical analysis of the oval (conducted by Transport Canberra) indicates excessive compaction issues, low soil aeration, low infiltration and hydraulic conductivity rates causing shallow rooting and overall lack of vigour and resilience of the turf.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call on the ACT Government to:
Fund a significant upgrade to the Nicholls Oval amenities, to cater for more participants, primarily females.
Build a suitable centre that caters for a range of community events, to help foster a self-sufficient facility that encourages community activities.
Overhaul and upgrade the fields to suit premier division sport, and harsh conditions.